ADVENT Week 2: “Peace”

The second Sunday of Advent, which occurs on December 5, 2010, focuses on the peace which Christ brought to the world upon his coming into it. Before him, in order for a person to become right with God after he had sinned, he would have to go out to his field and select the best lamb he had from his stock of lambs at the time. He would then have to bring that excellent, spotless lamb (who would have been really good for eating) to the High Priest who would then execute the lamb in order to pay for the sins of that person. Jesus came so that he could be that lamb in a figurative sense. Jesus came into the world on the mandate that he would liberate people from their sin. He came and died an Innocent man (the figurative equivalent to the spotless, best lambs of the Old Testament) so that people could be free of their sins and equal with God again. Jesus brought peace to a broken world who was stuck in their sin. After Jesus died as the perfect sacrifice to sin, people no longer had to worry about killing lambs every once in a while to make atonement for their sin. Due to Christ’s birth and death in this world, which seems chaotic at times, people can have peace in the fact that Salvation – Being able to be right with God, is still attainable!!! All you have to do is ask God directly for forgiveness and he will answer you. There is no more middle man, no more having to go to a priest to ask for forgiveness of sins, and no more random lamb killing. It doesn’t matter who you are. Jesus’ death allowed for everyone to have peace with God and restore that relationship to where it was supposed to be. All you have to do is ask for it!

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Thoughts from a slightly older me:

If there was ever a time in the world that we all needed peace, it’s certainly right now in 2013. There are several wars going on, not to mention the completely random genocide of the Syrian population.

All around the world, yes even in North America, Christians are being persecuted openly. 60 years ago, persecution of a particular religious group was frowned upon…to the point where it caused the second World War. Now it happens every day.

Here in North America people get all riled up over the fact that the opinions of some people are not always agreeing with them…and for some reason to think differently than another person is wrong these days. I understand less and less of the world I live in each day. I do know that we sure need peace…and God is the only one who can really give it to us…and it’s not because we deserve it either.